The world we live in has changed so much that you really don't have to leave your house if you don't want to. Ordering Christmas gifts is as easy as a search through Amazon (or any of the many online retailers out there). You can get your groceries delivered to your doorstep, and for many of the bigger festivals in the world, live streams are beamed to your home via YouTube. Oh, glorious Internets. And while the idea of creating music then cutting it at home isn't new, it's never been affordable, especially if you want to do it right. This new Kickstarter might change that.
The Desktop Record Cutter aims to, simply, "bring a physical music medium back to the mainstream." The above image is a "proof of concept," showcasing the bare bones of what the DRC will be, and while the tech will be easy to use, the breakdown might seem like a lot to more novice tech heads, and the more experienced are promised to be able to tinker and experiment with the unit as they see fit.
They're looking to raise AUD $10,000, and have already raised AUD $8686 at the time of press. The actual unit would cost $6,500, but word is that if more funds are raised, the units will go down in price. While we don't imagine these flying off of the shelves, as the only people we know who would cut their own vinyl are DJs who either produce or have a shitload of producer friends, it'd make much more sense for the DJ who does still use vinyl and wants to make their own custom plates.
Now, for those who want to make their custom at-home audio life complete, and have a 3-D printer handy, designer Oana Croitoru made a 3-D printed turntable that sort-of works. It was designed and created as a part of the MakerBot Ghostly Vinyl Challenge, and while the audio leaves a LOT to be desired (see video below), we imagine a bigger, better version will come out of the woodwork in the near future. You can download the specs for this hand-cranked turntable via Thingverse.
